You may have heard that buying decisions are driven by our “reptile brains.” While this idea is not completely accurate it is a helpful way to think about the brain, particularly the nonconscious parts. Have you heard of neuromarketing? Spell check no longer marks it in error. Not so neuroselling… here it comes.

Top 10 List of Neuroselling Tactics and Strategies

1. The buyer’s brain leans either toward your sale or away from it during every single split second.

Brains scan environments for threats about every 1/5 of a second. Because selling can be threatening it pays to work hard and create positive conditions. That way the buyer will lean toward your product or service instead of away from it. “Great sales people are always on” because it only takes 1/5 of a second to blow the deal.

So what? Stay on. Your sales cycle is every 1/5 of a second, your goal is to get the buyer’s brain to lean towards your offer, and your risk is that you trigger a threat response. Reduce your threatening behavior by seeking permission, building rapport and trust, expressing solutions, and remaining patient, among other things.

2. The wiring of the buyer’s brain and not the consciousness of his or her mind drive motivations.

Nothing new here. Brains wire to seek gain and avoid pain. That happens in the context of the need for mastery, affiliation, autonomy, and purpose. Fringe motivations include control, power, and risk-taking. Because brains bias toward avoiding pain, pain-focused needs are more common than gain-focused ones. Sell to them.

So what? Get to know the buyer’s motivations. Does he or she light up at the idea of reducing pain? Or tell more stories about gain? Depending on what motivates him or her, help him or her feel the pain or gain and connect your product and service with ridding the pain or increasing the gain as they think of those sensations.

3. Emotions are the building blocks of the buyer’s motivations.

The conscious mind rarely knows the origin of its own motivations. This is particularly true with urges and impulse buys. Many people buy based on an emotional response that flies under the radar of conscious thought, at the subconscious level. This is why feelings can often power decisions that leave rational thought in the dust.

So what? Trigger emotional responses as you sell your product or service. Make those responses align with the buyer’s motivations. Be careful not to trigger the wrong emotion because that will cause the buyer to lean away from, and not toward, your product or service. Watch the buyer’s face and tone to pick up the emotional cues.

4. The brain hates to process too much, too soon.

You know that saying, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach?” Well, the mind’s appetite for information is bigger than the brain’s ability to handle all of it. Researchers used to think we could handle up to seven things at once in short term memory. They’ve revised the number down to three or four at most (and one is a contender).

So what? Connect what’s in the buyer’s brain to what you offer. Avoid numbers, abstract concepts, or time-related issues with choices. Give the brain what it wants now, in simple terms, using a clear call to action. Offer metaphors to frame your product or service and if the buyer has a favorite metaphor or two, use them.

5. Help guide the buyer’s attention.

The brain leans in or out in part to avoid attending to unnecessary things. Attention is a critically precious commodity today and it turns out we do not multi-task, we time share. This means when the buyer is not paying attention, he or she is not following your sales process.

So what? Make sure you have the buyer’s eyes and ears. The dead giveaway for where attention lands is where the buyer focuses his or her eyes and ears. Use movements that keep eyes on target, and make sounds that help ears stay where they belong too. Choose places with less distraction and offer relevant information only.

6. Connect your product or service to the buyer’s past associations.

The brain pays most attention to the past. It leans toward or away from things based on how it calculates what happened in the past. That’s why most people reject new things until they can assess them from a familiar perspective. This is also why most folks need to experience things seven times or so before they finally “get it.”

So what? Make what you sell appear familiar. Analogies help, for example, use words including “like,” “similar,” and “same” that help compare your product or service with things the buyer already understands.

7. Connect the buyer’s need for instant gratification with your product or service.

The urge to take a pill before building a skill is the reason instant gratification is king. Some people will remove pounds surgically before working them off with sweat equity. The majority of the brain’s functions serve the interests of “now” instead of hoping for mid term or long terms gains. Connect now; sell more.

So what? Make success clear with stories, customer testimonials, and a proven track record. Frame and orient the buyer’s mind so that your product fits the buyer’s current and pressing needs. Help the buyer imagine himself or herself with your product or service in hand, already receiving its benefits.

8. Primacy (first) and recency (last) make a huge difference.

“First impressions count.” You bet, particularly with the brain. It tires and bores easily and is designed to conclude the buyer is fine and needs nothing that you offer. How we begin and end anything alters everything.

So what? Anchor the most important part of your sale first (use a story, metaphor, or sensory explanation). Orient and frame the buyer’s brain quickly. Repeat your message with a call to action at the end. Use the buyer’s own metaphors and language to remind him or her of the opportunity you offer to him or her.

9. Make it visual.

The buyer’s brain processes images faster than written or verbal messages. It also has a more expansive network of visual associations than other sensory associations and tends to categorize and separate out visual cues far more rapidly than other sensory messages like sound, taste, touch, or smell (bad smells aside).

So what? Look good, first of all. Second, draw what success looks like when the buyer uses your product or service. Make the drawing literally with pen and paper. Or, explain it visually in a way that the buyer can see with his or her mind’s eye. Let your buyer see the benefit you offer to get him or her much closer to closing the deal.

10. During the close compare prices and establish value.

The brain experiences “pain” when prices seem unfair. For the brain, price fairness depends on, and really demands, a comparison. For example, instead of offering one set price, frame the price in ways that help the buyer understand the price’s fairness as well as its value. Never offer your price without a context for it.

So what? Offer the price of your product or service compared to a normal price, or to a discount for some reason, or explain how the price is 10% below market. Help the buyer clarify the relative price and emphasize its value. This means you may bundle things together, offer things in increments, or offer payment plans.

Summary: reduce threats as you frame the buyer’s instant success.

Brains avoid harm at all costs. As a matter of fact, social and mental harm fires up the same regions in our brains as physical pain does. Instead of harm, offer success and know that the brain wants success now! If you threaten the buyer the chance of blowing your sale goes way up. Instead, build a protective feeling with rapport and trust. Use affirmative, positive, and protective stories, metaphors, and words that encourage positive familiarity with your service or product. Choose to mirror the customers words, movements, emotions and sensory experiences to help build rapport. Gain trust by reducing threats as you show how your product or service meets the buyer’s needs, solves his or her problems, and ramps up his or her opportunities.

Do these things and watch your close rates skyrocket. Remember, it’s all about emotional ties, the buyer’s ability to pay, and his or her willingness to do so. These things are qualifications that the buyer’s brain is ready, willing, and able. Now, go forth and win over not just their hearts and minds, but also and most importantly, win over their brains.

I wish you the best of luck.

Cheers,

Kevin Leahy

www.KnowledgeAdvocate.com

Austin, Texas

Did your brain just happen to you? Have you ever wondered, “Did my brain just happen to me?” My friend Christine just shared that wonderful sentiment with me today. As in, where did my brain come from, anyway? Have you ever wondered what relationship you have with your brain? Did your brain just happen to you or by any chance did you happen to it?

Looking for the top ten list of things to do to control your brain?

Skip to the bottom of the blog. Otherwise, enjoy some stories first.

My Roman chariot

I used to drive around Los Angeles in a vintage 1993 Toyota Tercel I named Agnes. When I did so I felt special. The reason? Simple: I paid no attention to the sport cars around me and instead I compared my ride to the best ancient chariot Rome had ever seen. I was the top dog gladiator with my shiny, brand-spanking new Fire Engine Red, hot Toyota Tercel (my friends would later call it a “Turdcell,” and never mind them).

Mindset is everything

I now know why that little trick of thinking about ancient Roman chariots helped me. My brain let me feel better by using that perspective. We can do other tricks with our brains too. For example, my friend Rich was the best dater I knew in high school. Most of us were still malformed kids, pimples and all, and he was no different. Yet he had a miraculous way with “the ladies.” He was so composed, so sure and confident of himself, he bordered on “cocksure” (look, it’s in the dictionary, although more funny in context).

How does he do it?

“What’s with you and the ladies,” my friend Eric asked Rich one day. “How’s it possible you do so well getting all those dates?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Rich replies nonchalantly. “They are all lesbians.”

Huh?

Did he just say, “They are all lesbians?”

What we pay attention to matters

You bet, he told my friend. His tactic: reduce all self-inflicted pressure of “scoring” with the ladies by approaching them as if they were not interested in him one little bit. This placed him at complete ease with himself and them.

What does all this have to do with controlling my brain on purpose?

I simply wanted to feel at peace in one of the showiest car cities in the world and Rich wanted to date pretty women. Control over our brains with these tricks helped us avoid low self esteem (me) or the anxiety of getting shot down by a disinterested woman (Rich).

These tricks let us resource our brains on purpose

Now that I have studied how our brains work, I know why the tricks we used to deal with potential envy or heightened anxiety worked. The tricks helped us to resource our brains differently then they would by themselves. In other words, we resourced our brains with our minds, on purpose, to help avoid negative outcomes and achieve positive ones instead.

Ten practical ways to control your brain on purpose

Here is a list of brain resourcing tactics you might recommend to some folks. These are things you can do to take control over from the “brain that just happened to me.” Good luck trying them out.

Sincerely,

Kevin Leahy

Austin, Texas

www.KnowledgeAdvocate.com

*    *    *

10 Things You Can Do To Control Your Brain With Your Mind

1. DO MATH TO STOP NEGATIVE SELF TALK

When you ruminate on negative thoughts, remember instead to calculate math equations.

You take away energy from some of your language centers when you do math and stop self-talk in its tracks.

2. LABEL YOUR FEELINGS TO DAMPEN EMOTIONS

When feelings happen, remember to name them.

Labeling our feelings as emotions directly dampens their impact and allows time to reflect and reappraise.

3. EYEBROWS UP TO REMOVE ANGER

When you are driving and someone invades your space, remember to lift your eyebrows up.

You cannot stay angry with your eyebrows up since that gesture resources different areas than anger.

4. LEAN FORWARD TO PLAN AND IMAGINE

When you are feeling anxious, remember to lean forward to move mental energy into the front brain.

Moving energy from the middle brain to the front brain reduces your brain’s ability to generate anxiety.

5. KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS ON TARGET TO INCREASE FOCUS

When you need to focus, remember to lock your vision and hearing on the same target.

Attention and focus follow what we see and hear so directing both on purpose keeps us on point.

6. BREATHE TO RELAX

When alarmed, remember to exhale for as long as you can and do that a few times.

When we practice long, purposeful exhales, it helps us activate our calming parasympathetic system.

7. TAP YOUR TONGUE TO FEEL BETTER

When you need to recenter, remember to tap your tongue 10-20 times at the spot above your front teeth.

Tapping your alveolar ridge helps refocus you and may also release thymosin, a helpful immune response hormone.

8. SHIFT YOUR EYES TO GAIN MEMORY AND PERSPECTIVE

When you need perspective quickly, remember to purposefully look from side to side for 30 seconds.

Focusing from side to side likely stimulates both sides of our brains, which helps memory and gains perspective.

9. CREATE ASSOCIATIONS TO REMEMBER NAMES

To remember a person’s name, remember to create a network of information connected to that name.

Our memory systems work best when we can store information as a series of connections or associations.

10. PLAY IMAGINARY SPORTS TO REDUCE SELF-FOCUS

To stop self-focused thoughts, remember to imagine playing your favorite sport for a minute or two.

Imagining physical activity moves energy from self-oriented regions to the motor and sensory regions.

What will the attendees do in the program?

1) Communicate: you use the Language GEMS to “talk” directly with your brain so it really understands you.

2) Lead: you use the Fever Pitch model to rewire your brain to follow your vision and meet your needs.

3) Manage: the Brain Team™ model helps your brain learn to cooperate like a team for your life successes.

What do attendees get for the four hours of commitment each day?

First: more knowledge about how the brain works. This helps you fix and tweak areas in your brain worth fixing and tweaking.

Second: rewiring advice that will improve your performance. You rewire your brain and directly impact your bottom line.

Third: practical methods to deal with your brain directly. You get a united brain and mind and achieve better results at work and in life.

Do you have examples of that third category?

Sure: lift your eyebrows up because gestures change moods (when you lift your eyebrows up, your brain thinks you are in the state of mind of wonder or surprise and therefore you cannot remain angry or frustrated). Do some simple math calculations and watch your negative self-talk stop dead in its tracks (turns out where our brains do math includes different areas than where they do spoken language, such as negative self talk, so doing math leaves few resources for brain areas that ruminate our negative thoughts).

Can you summarize the benefits of the program in one sentence?

The program lets you resource your brain on purpose to achieve what you want. This helps you avoid automatic (and not always helpful) ways the brain resources itself, including too much emotion, not enough focus, or a lack of attention and care for others.

How much does the Mind Athlete Program cost?

Admission is $600 for the complete course, there is a $100 early bird discount and there are group discounts available as well.

Final thoughts?

Graduates of the program are:

1) impressed with how much they now know about their brains and how to help them work better;

2) able to share their learning with coworkers and loved ones to help them improve their own brains as well;

3) on a journey to improve their brains so they can leverage their mental powers and get the most out of life.

I look forward to seeing you in the program. Cheers!

Kevin Leahy

Austin, Texas

Email for more information here: May2012@KnowledgeAdvocate.com

Will power.

What about it?

It’s best served cold.

Meaning?

It turns out in the moment, our ability to control our choices gets balanced by our nonconscious ways of considering how, when, and why to do things. We revert to our instincts and preferences far more than we make new choices in the moment.

Have an example?

Yes. Several come to mind, like eating the third donut, ordering the sixth beer, or telling someone the same thing for the eighth time. These are all symptoms of the underlying problem.

What’s the underlying problem?

The problem is the way will power works. Even if we decide to not eat the donut or not have the beer, that part of us that really enjoys those things can get its way by besting our conscious intentions. That part of us has more friends in our brains, is directly connected to more influential areas up there, and speaks the underlying languages of our brains (chemical, electric, electromagnetic) far better than we do.

Are you saying will power is not all it is cracked up to be?

Exactly, for many of us. Some people have amazing will power. Often, you find them as stalwarts in our companies, churches, and social networks. They mean what they say, and do what they mean. Nice folks.

And for the rest of us– is there any hope that we can enjoy will power?

Sure there is. As this blog post suggests, we can serve our will power cold. In other words, we can work on the important things when they are not happening yet so we are ready for them when they do happen.

Have any specific suggestions?

Yes. Imagine a whole sequence that is likely to happen in the future. In your imagination, change things. For example, as you think of the donut, imagine delaying reaching for it for 10 seconds. Imagine how much better your waist will be without it. Imagine that you are the queen or king of not eating donuts, give yourself a sash and ribbon in your imagination (no worries there, no one but you will be watching!).

You think I can serve will power cold with imagination, anything else?

Sure. Spend more time using your will power in the off moments to create new habits. Also, use your will power to tie emotion and states of mind to specific things that will happen in the future. Keep check lists of how you prefer to do things. Consider distractions that get your nonconscious brain off of its targets. Use self talk that helps see all sides and points of the proposed actions. “Talk” with your brain in language it understands, sensory language, language of intent, and language that expresses the energy of belief and hope more than talking in English about it.

That is a good start, thank you.

You are welcome. Good luck.

Kevin Leahy

Knowledge Advocate, LLC

Austin, Texas

You will learn the details of how your brain works

You study the brain areas and functions that are “must knows” when it comes to understanding how your brain works; then, you can treat your brain like an integrated team and lead it to great personal successes.

You will focus on at least one of your brain’s unique abilities and strengthen it

You will focus on at least one of three major brain-performance areas: executive function; emotional function; or relationship function. The program helps you build up leadership abilities in those areas.

You will learn exercises that strengthen your brain as if it were a muscle

Mind athletes use exercises that build up their brain functions. When you do that you get better perspective, more control, and you begin to sense that your efforts to improve your brain are paying off.

How much time is involved?

The minimum time commitment averages five hours per week. That includes attendance at sessions; the first session lasts for two hours and the remaining sessions are an hour and a half each. The rest of the time is spent at peer group meetings, watching videos, reading, and performing the mind athlete exercises.

Why so much time?

As with any skill-based effort, the more time you invest, the more return you will get. The times mentioned are minimums, we encourage that you maximize your time and effort to maximize the benefits.

When do you meet?

The formal sessions are held on Saturday, starting January 21, 2012. Formal sessions happen every two weeks, and peer groups arrange for a convenient time to meet during the week between formal sessions.

Why do people take this course?

There are three main reasons people take the course:

Purpose: many of the athletes are business owners, managers, and leaders in their workplaces. They wish to learn more about how brains work so they can help others maximize how they use their brains.

Pain: a few athletes deal with hard to control urges or pain from emotional strain. For example, the program works on regret or frustration that arises from deep within the automatic functioning of our brains.

Performance: most mind athletes seek to improve how they perform at work and in life. They aim for better focus, clarity, and tenacity to plan and act. The program addresses these things, and more.

Are there any other reasons people attend?

Yes. A common reason is curiosity. Many people wonder if the mind athlete program is for them, some attend to find out. As with anything, the best way to participate in a skill-based program is to do the work. That said, curiosity can lead to a deeper understanding of the material and for many, it is the first step in the journey towards exploring a more active practice of mental excellence.

What are mind athlete graduates saying?

Good question. More to the point, how are they doing? The reports are great, from their experiences, here is what you can expect.

First, there is comfort, although some ambivalence remains, in knowing far more about a critical part of you that has historically been off limits due to a lack of information: your brain.

Second, you rely on the mind athlete exercises that have proven most helpful for you, everyone is different and takes to the exercises differently; you find the ones best for you.

Third, you see and feel the benefits when you begin to hold meetings with your brain team, communicate with individual brain team members with respect, and coach them to great results.

Fourth, your eyes are open to the amazing opportunities of brain control, brain management, and brain leadership that you simply had not considered before.

Can you summarize the gains of the program?

Sure. Just like with your physical exercise, the program gives mental exercises context and focus. You tackle routines that help you convert your first nature instincts, or your second nature preferences, into a third nature way of being, which is a way of being mindful in the moment. Then you command, control, and lead your brain to great success. Fewer hijacks, fewer unconscious missteps. As that command and control increases for you, there is a good, authentic, satisfied feeling that emerges. Just like any athlete, you begin to take on more challenges, just for the sport of it. As you do more of that, you raise your performance at work and in life to a whole new level.

I hope you consider the program. We would love to have you.

Kevin Leahy, founder

Knowledge Advocate, LLC

Austin, Texas

Is my ego part of the Back 98?

It depends on what you call “ego.” Some people can control behaviors associated with their egos, many cannot. For those who cannot, ego behavior is part of the Back 98, and it can pack a wallop.

Are you saying that some egos are like shrink wrap?

Yes. Many egos are like shrink wrap: we see right through them and they can get in the way of proper operation. Over time, people who reduce ego-related behaviors achieve much better performance.

What’s the point of this post?

For many, their egos simply get in their way. This post explores removing or dampening the effect of our egos. Do that and we can improve our relationships and increase our performance too.

What’s the link between the “ego” and claims that we do not use our brains much?

I define “ego” as that essence that seeks to protect our self image from physical and mental injury. By default, egos remain mostly stable throughout our lives, i.e., they don’t change much. Indeed, parts of the brain related to the ego are hard to change… even when we want to change them.

What parts of the brain relate to the ego?

Great question, and one that is hard to pin down exactly. Ego appears to derive from a couple of different areas. The anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and orbitofrontal prefrontal cortex, for example, translate into conscious attention much of the data generated below them by the limbic system and the brain stem. The amygdala, located in the limbic system, is responsible for the threat response that drives much of our “ego behavior.” The hippocampus and hypothalamus are also involved, as are regions of the parietal and temporal lobes that integrate much of our sensory experience that makes up our self image.  The parts of the brain associated with a dampening of those regions are located more to the very front of our brains, areas such as the medial prefrontal cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The ventrolateral prefrontal cortex is responsible for blocking some of our egos more pernicious behaviors, like wanting to sock someone in the stomach for hurting our feelings.

Does it matter if I know all of these parts of my brain you just named?

Not really; not for applying this blog in ways that can reduce ego-oriented behaviors for you.

You mention “shrink wrap”; what is that again?

“Shrink wrap” is the plastic material that protects things we buy in the store. We usually remove it when we get home because it gets in the way of the product’s best use.

Can you offer an example?

Sure, most CD cases have shrink wrap surrounding them, that is the clear plastic material that they come in. That wrap is called “shrink wrap” and it protects the product until purchase.

Do you believe we can consciously control our egos?

In a sense, yes, because we can rewire them. Our egos establish our “first natures,” which is the way we are without any changes. We can modify the ego’s wiring to create our “second natures.”

You mean, like this: “do something enough times and it becomes second nature?”

Yes, exactly.

We can create new brain patterns that change our egos for good?

Yes. And because it is hard work, we must consciously do so. When it comes to egos, it takes lots of gumption– that is, will, intent, and belief, to do whatever it takes to get what we want.

What is the “our selves” in your title, is that a type of self that lies behind our egos?

Great question and one that awaits your own discovery. Research suggests the ego-less self may be far more productive, loving, and energetic than the one that the ego protects.

My ego catches me by surprise a lot; so is it part of the Back 98, or not?

It depends. Triggers, or hot buttons, tip us off that the ego is in the “shields up, fire the torpedoes” mode. That is Back 98 stuff. We can change our ego response and it takes lots of practice to do so.

Why bother if it takes so much practice?

Because over time, new wiring in your brain will transform your “first nature,” which is a fight or flight and ego-filled response, to a more desirable “second nature,” one of your choosing.

Alright, can you go over again what you mean by ego?

“Ego” relates to our notion of self. It refers to the set of behaviors we use to contrast how we view ourselves compared to others. It includes the idea of personality, or who we think we are.

We are who we are, right?

Maybe, yet we are always subject to change. Also, it turns out our personalities are not stable. We have proof of this when we act differently on a first date, or, when a policeman pulls us over.

What are you suggesting we do with these see-through egos? Take them off?

We all have the right to remove our egos (or at least calm them down). Our egos have served their purpose. By adulthood, if we are not careful, they can get in the way of our best performances.

I thought I needed to have my ego present and accounted for to do my best work?

You are not alone in your thinking. Commonly, people think the ego is necessary to perform well. That is simply not what the research suggests. During peak performance the ego takes a holiday.

Are you saying we do our best work when our ego is not even present?

Yes. That is exactly right, our best performances happen without the ego being present at all.

Do you have research to back that?

There is a long line of research dealing with this from the 1970s. Investigate the concept of “flow,” as identified first by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He studied top performers and discovered that during their best performances, their sense of self seemed to reduce, if not go away entirely.

So why do we seem to need our egos to get through challenging performances?

Beats me. All I know is what the research shows: if you have your ego present as you perform something, there is a high chance you are not peak performing at that time.

What do you recommend for removing the ego?

First, figure out your definition of ego.

Second, consider how it helps you.

Third, consider how it gets in your way.

Fourth, do a cost/benefit analysis: should it stay, or should it go? Ask others for help on this one.

Only if you are convinced it should go, or at least, be modified, then go to the next step.

Fifth, if you desire, begin to reduce your ego. Here’s some ideas on how to do just that:

1) meditate: Rick Hanson has some wonderful insights on reducing ego with meditation;

2) love: adopt a specific approach to love, e.g., Jesus Christ offered great insights as did Buddha;

3) share: sharing will bond you to others and expands your intimate circle of trust;

4) question: challenge assumptions by questioning more, do it with a sense of wonder and joy;

5) wait: be patient so that the forward-most part of your brain has time to assess things properly.

That’s it?

That’s a great start. I wish you the best of luck,

Kevin Leahy, founder

Knowledge Advocate, LLC

www.KnowledgeAdvocate.com

When we intentionally love some thing or some one, we encourage more glucose to travel to the brain areas associated with love. When we do that, there is less energy available in the areas that help protect us from immediate harm, whether that harm is physical like a punch, or mental, like an insult. In other words, in love our brains’ design makes us more vulnerable to attack.

Does that mean when I am in love I reduce my chance of protecting myself?

In a sense, yes. Love is a risk, we have all heard that. From a brain perspective, when we actively love, our intent to love takes energy away from the areas of our brains that help protect us.

Which areas are those, which brain areas protect us from harm?

Some that come to mind include the amygdala and hypothalamus, the insula, and the anterior cingulate cortex. These parts, which are close to the front center of our brains, help protect us.

Do you mean those areas are responsible for our ego?

They can be. As ego is commonly defined, it is a way of being that relies on a massive network of cells throughout our whole brains. These areas help define who we are in relation to others.

And you are saying in love, the definition of ourselves changes?

It can. In love, the ego seems to dissolve, or at least dampen, the need for separation, contrast, or distinguishing things. In love, the brain connects things and accepts a profound “togetherness.”

So now what? What’s the point of this post?

This post makes clear that we have the right to make a conscious decision to love at every moment and accept that when we do that, we will pull energy away from our brain’s protection system.

Does that make sense?

It can, depending on how you value the long term benefits of love. Love, once built, lasts far longer than the momentary urge to protect, repel, and disconnect. It is your choice.

Anything else?

Not for now. Thank you for being here and have a great day.

Kevin Leahy, founder

Knowledge Advocate, LLC

Mental reflexes. They can show up as “brain jerks” at times, which is socially awkward and can get in the way of results. In a word, they are “jerky.”

What is the point of the post?

Instead of saying “knee jerk reaction,” let’s say “brain jerk reaction.” That is more accurate because it’s usually a brain, and not a knee, that just jerked.

For what reasons would I change that phrase, I kind of like it?

When we say to ourselves or others a “brain jerk” just happened, we stand a better chance of deciding to do something about it. We can change brain jerk reactions.

They’re “jerk reactions” because they happen fast, without intent, right?

True. So the work of changing brain jerk reactions happens long before the moment when they occur.

So this post simply wants me to say “brain jerk” instead of “knee jerk”?

Exactly. And identify it often, as often as it occurs if you can.

And that lets me pay close attention to the jerky aspect of brain jerks?

Right.

I can change my brain so the jerkiness gets dampened, or goes away?

That’s the idea.

Tell me about it here:   brainjerk@knowledgeadvocate.com

Kevin Leahy, founder

Knowledge Advocate, LLC

What does it mean?

It means many things to many people. In business, it means doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

I mean, what’s the real definition?

Well, there are a variety of definitions. They have to do with a person’s fortitude, courage, and certainty for what they are doing. Initiative, resourcefulness, enterprise, these words give you the idea.

So, what is this post about?

This post is about gumption. I believe gumption is critical in today’s business environment. If we’ve “got gumption,” wonderful things will happen for company profits, people, mission and purpose.

Any tips for how to get it?

Yes. There is a formula that helps build gumption. Here’s the formula: with an open mind and generous heart add equal parts of (1) belief, (2) will power, and (3) intention.

Can you give an example of the formula?

Sure. If I hear about a new skill that helps improve my work performance, I will have gumption to learn that skill when I believe the practice will help me improve the skill, have the will power to do the practice, and have the intention to practice the skill as instructed to achieve the maximum benefit.

That’s it?

Well. There is lots more, and that is good for now. See where gumption shows up in your work life and when it is lacking, help folks learn the formula. Good luck!

Kevin Leahy, founder

Knowledge Advocate, LLC

MindAthlete@KnowledgeAdvocate.com

What is the Mind Athlete™ Program?

It is a brain training program that teaches you about the different areas of your brain and their functions. Exercises and special commands help you control your brain and manage it to best serve your needs.

You’re saying I can communicate directly with specific areas of my brain?

Yes, with coaching techniques. Here’s one way to describe the program to others: it is a coaching program for your brain. For example, the program helps convert negative self-talk into positive self-talk.

Does this program draw on prior traditions?

Yes. Ancient traditions of meditation and prayer tip us off to the benefits of self-regulating our brains. Getting to know ourselves and brains better is a primary instruction of ancient philosophers: “know thyself.” It works.

What about more recent research?

Before the most recent brain breakthroughs positive thinking and self-hypnosis added to the foundation of why direct communication with the brain works. Early researchers applied science to confirm observable benefits, like reduction of pain, overcoming depression, controlling emotions, and the like. Particular individuals include Milton Erickson, working with self-hypnosis to overcome childhood polio, and Lev Vygotsky, working with inner speech to better understand self-regulation and control. During the past 100 years, management science and leadership research also showed us what practices work best when managing and leading others. That work plays a critical role in this program.

And in modern times, what science do you rely on?

The core sciences that form the basis of this work include communications science, neuropsychology, neuroanatomy, behavioral economics, linguistics, and evolutionary biology. The science required to help us understand how our brains work and why must draw on many different disciplines.

What authority do you have to offer this program?

I am a coach and have been one for more than 10 years. Coaching witnesses for trial and executives for better performance focuses on positive reinforcement, examination of beliefs, and intentional control and regulation over thoughts and behaviors. Specifically, I coached scientists and medical doctors how to present information to juries, and cross-examined adversary experts on the basis of their knowledge as well. As a trial lawyer, doubt and proof were corner stones of my approach in the courtroom. Now, they form the ethics of how I share insights about our brains and how to coach and train them. A key area of my work at law was human memory. My experience cross examining medical and scientific witnesses and preparing their testimony made use of the practical application of psychology, behavioral sciences, influence, and control. What I learned at law plays a critical role in how I share this coaching program.

You mention that I can talk to my brain, do I use English to do that?

If English is what you speak, that will be a key asset for you when communicating with your brain.

Do other message systems apply, like the use of images, sounds, and non-verbal cues?

Yes, large areas of our brains respond very well to non-verbal cues and messages. This is why, among other things, imagination and visualization are such critical performance management tools.

I thought my brain communicates with energy, including electromagnetic force?

It does. It also attends to commands in your native language and intentions formed with image, sound, touch, gesture, feeling, etc.

I can coach and manage my own brain with special commands?

Yes. The power of positive attention and mindful intention have been scientifically validated in peer-reviewed articles using tools like fMRI machines, EEG technology, SPECT scans, and the like.

So if I learn more about my brain and communicate directly with it, I become its leader?

That is the goal of the program. It is a process, like any other, that takes time and practice.

Who is in charge of my brain right now?

I don’t know, that depends on your will power, energy resources, and patterns of self-regulation and self-control. Some people are already amazing mind athletes, this introductory program is not for them.

And the point of your program is to let me take direct and conscious control of my brain?

Yes.

Will your program help me control urges for food and drink better?

It can. The program shows you how to use the section of your brain devoted to will power and focus that energy on the system within your brain responsible for anticipating rewards and release of  dopamine.

So my will power can get together with my dopamine system and help me with my urges?

Yes. Remember that retraining your anticipation system to anticipate differently takes work.

Will your program help me control emotional outbursts?

It can. Emotions bubble up from the middle of your brain. This program lets you integrate the front of your brain more closely with it. You learn to reframe and reconsider things with the front of your brain too.

Can it improve my ability to focus?

That is one of the goals. Many studies indicate focus increases when we exercise the parts responsible for it. We get better at focusing with conscious effort, so with know-how and practice, focus can improve.

Will I listen better to others?

If that is an area you wish to work on, yes, you can. Knowing where your auditory functions reside and how your brain allocates resources to them can help you improve your listening skills over time.

Will I learn how to build rapport and be able to match how other people use their brains?

Yes. A part of the program teaches about where personalities, habits and traits tend to reside. Knowing that helps you call upon those areas as needed to match the traits and behaviors of those important to you.

It sounds like your program treats my brain like a team, is that right?

Exactly. The program relies on the metaphor of a team, and as with a team, you coach it to improve its overall function. Specifically, you use self-talk to call upon specific areas to do specific things for you.

In other words, I become the “team manager”of my brain?

Yes. Best practices from management science guide the process and sound coaching methods lead the way.

I am the”team leader” of my brain?

Yes. The program incorporates best practices and great insights from 100 years of research on leadership.

I can control even the parts of my brain that are normally beyond my intentional control?

Yes, and some parts are easier to manage than others. Please know that this work takes belief and practice. If you do not believe you have the right to control your brain more, I guarantee this program is not for you.

How does your program work?

1) first you learn about the different areas of your brain and what they do

2) then you learn exercises that help you coach those areas and let you interact directly with them

3) finally, you learn special commands that help you control, manage, and lead your brain to great results

The program lets you communicate directly with different areas of your brain and treats them like team members. Best practices from management and leadership science ensure we make the right efforts.

What’s the result of the program?

By doing the exercises and learning the commands, you become a great coach, manager and leader of your brain and a true mental champion. You can then better help others improve their own brains too.

I’m interested; where can I sign up?

Sign up here: MindAthlete@KnowledgeAdvocate.com

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Kevin Leahy, founder

Knowledge Advocate, LLC

Communication specialist, master questioner, brain trainer